1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage, having a filling element for filling bottles with a liquid beverage and a filling machine having such a filling element.
2. Background Information
A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material can possibly comprise a beverage filling machine with a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position having a beverage filling device for filling bottles with liquid beverage filling material. The filling devices may have an apparatus designed to introduce a predetermined volume of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of bottles to a substantially predetermined level of liquid beverage filling material. The apparatus designed to introduce a predetermined flow of liquid beverage filling material further comprises an apparatus that is designed to terminate the filling of the beverage bottles upon the liquid beverage filling material reaching the predetermined level in bottles. There may also be provided a conveyer arrangement that is designed to move bottles, for example, from an inspecting machine to the filling machine. Upon filling, a closing station closes the filled bottles. There may further be provided a conveyer arrangement configured to transfer filled bottles from the filling machine to the closing station. Bottles may be labeled in a labeling station, the labeling station having a conveyer arrangement to receive bottles and to output bottles. The closing station and the labeling station may be connected by a corresponding conveyer arrangement.
The prior art describes various filling elements for filling bottles or similar containers with a liquid to be bottled, in particular for filling bottles with beverages, including filling elements that are designed for a volume-controlled filling (volumetric filling). In these filling elements, in a liquid line between a source of the liquid being bottled (e.g. reservoir or bowl) and the respective filling element a flow meter is provided which delivers a measurement or control signal to a central control device (computer) of the filling machine that effects a termination of the filling process, i.e. the closing of the liquid valve.